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<title>An Illuminating Little Chat by Dreamin</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23101984">An Illuminating Little Chat</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin'>Dreamin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Adventures of the Two Hearts [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes (1984 TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crossover, F/M, Granada Sherlolly, Older Man/Younger Woman, Pre-Relationship, Victorian (non-TAB) Molly in the Sherlock Holmes (1984) world</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:47:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,009</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23101984</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Molly needs advice and Mrs. Hudson is just the person to give it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Adventures of the Two Hearts [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623925</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>An Illuminating Little Chat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts">afteriwake</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Molly also came home to her small flat following her cousins’ ball just after dawn. Mrs. Turner, her housekeeper, helped her out of the ballgown and into her most comfortable nightgown then she tried to sleep, but it eluded her.</p><p>Instead, her mind kept going back to the ball. <em>Being in Sherlock’s arms felt so right,</em> she thought, finally allowing herself to use his first name in her own head. <em>If I must marry, why can’t it be to someone like him? No, not someone like him, <strong>him</strong>. He’s the only man I could ever want.</em></p><p>She turned onto her side, sighing quietly. <em>Of all the men in London, why did I fall in love with a confirmed bachelor? </em>Her eyes widened when she realized which term she used. <em>Is it love? It must be, but surely the unrequited sort. </em></p><p>
  <em>They say he has no interest in marriage, and nothing he has said or done in my presence has contradicted that. The closest I have heard of him showing interest in a woman is that American opera singer who bested him last year. Or at least, that’s what Dr. Watson would have the world believe.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I must accept that I’m not pretty or interesting enough to inspire him to want anything beyond friendship with me. I’m not sure I could be happy with that. And if I can’t be happy, is it fair to my lovelorn heart to remain friends with him?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No. No, it is not.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then there is only one thing to do.</em>
</p><p>Giving up on any chance of sleeping, she got up and got dressed, unintentionally picking her cherry dress. Once she was presentable, she donned her hat, purse, and shawl, then headed out the door and up Baker Street.</p><p>The street was bustling with the usual late morning activity but Molly paid no attention to any of it. Her full focus was on the black door that now loomed in front of her. Hairs on the back of her neck rose as she felt like she was being watched, but a quick glance around told her she was being foolish.</p><p>Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she then knocked on the door. It was opened a moment later by a smiling old lady.</p><p>“Good morning. Here to see Mr. Holmes, are you? I’m afraid he’s had a late night and won’t be seeing clients for a few more hours.”</p><p>“Good morning. Um, I’m not a client.”</p><p>Her polite smile brightened. “Oh! You must be the famous Dr. Hooper, Mr. Holmes won’t stop talking about you. Please, come in. I’m Mrs. Hudson, the landlady.” She stood aside as Molly came in. “Let me take your shawl.”</p><p>“But if Mr. Holmes is still abed,” Molly cursed her fair skin and the blush she felt coming on, “I should just leave my card.”</p><p>“You can still leave it,” Mrs. Hudson said, “but it’s been an age since I had a young woman here to talk to.” Seeing Molly’s hesitation, she added, smiling impishly, “The kettle’s just boiled and I have a plate of biscuits ready.”</p><p>“Chocolate biscuits?” Molly asked hopefully.</p><p>Mrs. Hudson grinned. “Of course.”</p><p>“I … suppose I could stay for a little while.” She took off her shawl and hung it up herself.</p><p>“Right this way,” Mrs. Hudson said as she walked down the hallway to her kitchen. “You can tell me how Mr. Holmes behaves when he’s not here.”</p><p>Molly raised an eyebrow as she followed her.</p>
<hr/><p>Sherlock waited a beat from his hiding place on the stairs before soundlessly descending to the ground floor. He, of course, was the person who had watched Dr. Hooper while she was on the street, safely hidden by the sitting room curtains. Sleep had eluded him, though John had no such difficulty, if the snores heard even now were any indication.</p><p>The door to Mrs. Hudson’s kitchen was slightly open, and he could hear the reason for his insomnia speaking to his landlady. Peeking in, he could see Dr. Hooper … Molly’s back was to the door. Mrs. Hudson noticed him but just gave him a brief, knowing smile before turning her attention back to her guest.</p><p>“I do hope Mr. Holmes is a gentleman to you always,” she said, taking a sip of her tea.</p><p>Molly nodded. “Always, perhaps sometimes to a fault.”</p><p>That surprised Sherlock. <em>I thought women appreciated a display of fine manners.</em></p><p>Mrs. Hudson’s knowing smile returned. “You want him to be more familiar with you. You fancy him.”</p><p>Sherlock held his breath until Molly nodded. “I do, God help me, but I shouldn’t.”</p><p>“Whyever not?” Mrs. Hudson asked.</p><p><em>Yes,</em> Sherlock thought, <em>whyever not?</em></p><p>“They say he’s a confirmed bachelor. Dr. Watson himself noted in <em>The Strand</em> that Mr. Holmes is incapable of love.”</p><p>Mrs. Hudson merely chuckled. “My dear child, there is a world of difference between being incapable of something and never experiencing it before.”</p><p>Molly didn’t say anything for a moment and Sherlock imagined she was staring. Then, she said, amused, “You think Dr. Watson is wrong?”</p><p>“Dr. Watson is very capable when it comes to medicine or making Mr. Holmes remember his manners, but when it comes to matters of the heart, well,” Mrs. Hudson shrugged, smiling, “he’s a man. They’re rather silly creatures, aren’t they?”</p><p>Sherlock was about to protest then he remembered himself.</p><p>Molly, though, giggled. “They are.” She sighed quietly. “I came here to tell him we need to put aside our friendship. I was going to tell him I was afraid of it interfering in our work but really-”</p><p>“You want more from him and will not settle for less.”</p><p>She nodded, looking down at her tea.</p><p>“Stay the course, Dr. Hooper.”</p><p>“Molly, please.”</p><p>Mrs. Hudson smiled. “Molly. I promise you, he will come around.” She glanced up at Sherlock with a significant look. “If he knows what’s good for him.”</p><p>Sherlock flashed the dear old lady a grin before quietly going back upstairs to his sitting room, his mood lighter than it had ever been.</p>
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